Compressed air product ejector



April 9, 1957 Filed Jan. 19, 1955 D. W. MEAD COMPRESSED AIR PRODUCT EJECTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR.

DOA 44D 14 MZAD ATTORNEYS April 9, 1957 D. w. MEAD COMPRESSED AIR PRODUCT EJECTOR Filed Jari. 19, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 INVENTOR. 00/1/1910 14 A4540 2,788,030 COMPRESSED AIR PRODUCT moron Donald w. Mead, Oxnard, cane, assignor to Venture Farms Frozen Foods, Inc., Oxnard, Calif., a corporation of California Application January 19, 1955, Serial No. 482,851

4 Claims. (Cl. 141-147) This invention relates to a compressed air product ejector and more particularly to a device for attachment for a filling machine of the type used to fill paper cartons with vegetable and fruit products, such as raisins, lima beans, peas and the like, which are at times not free How ing.

In the use of packaging machinery of the type de scribed, difficulty is occasionally encountered with nonfree flowing product's failing to fully clear the measuring pocket.

It is accordingly one object of the present invention to provide a device for attachment to conventional packing machinery which forceably ejects the non-free flowing products from the filler pockets into the receptacles being filled.

It is another object of this invention to provide a device of the type described for attachment to conventional filling machines which is economic of construction, positive of action and simple to maintain.

it is another object of this invention to provide compressed air positive ejection means for non-free flowing products in the course of packing the same in which means is provided for positively sealing the air applicator to the filler when the compressed air is applied.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the annexed specification in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of the attachment of this invention shown applied to a Marapak filler.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side view partly in section through the force cup and associated mechanism.

Figure 3 is a perspective view taken from the other side from Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side view of the cam mech- 'anism.

Figure 5 is valve.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the invention is shown as attached to a Marapak filler of the type supplied by The Food Machinery and Chemical Corporation. This filler includes a hopper 10, a rotary platform 11 on which are mounted a plurality of circumferentially spaced filler cups 12 designed to receive produce to be packed from the hopper and transfer the same in measured amounts to a filling station, from which station the produce is delivered from the individual filler cups 12 to cartons disposed below the rotary table 11.

The apparatus of this invention comprises an attachment for the foregoing mechanism including a pivot arm 15 pivotally mounted in any suitable manner for reciprocation in a horizontal plane. Pivotally mounted to the end of the arm 15, as by bifurcated clevis 16 and pin 17, is a nipple 18 to which is attached a T 19 which in turn is attached to a nipple 20 carrying a T 21, in the end of which is mounted a rod 22 having a flattened portion 23 bored to receive and retain the upper end of a a fragmentary side view of the actuating depending rod 24. Mounted on a plate 25 carried by a support 26, mounted adjacent the machine, is an air valve 27 having an inlet 28 and an outlet 29. It will be appreciated that in practice a pipe extends from the out let 29 to the upper part of the T 19 as indicated by the dotted lines in Figures 1 and 3 and that an air hose is attached to the air inlet 23. This air hose and pipe have been omitted in the drawings for clarity of illustration.

The valve 27 is conventional and is provided with an actuating arm 30 carrying a roller 31 as indicated in Figure 5. Attached to the T 21 is a rubber force cup 32. Mounted upon the rotary table 11 adjacent each filler cup 12 is a bracket 32 including an upstanding lug 33 and a horizontally extendingshoe 34.

Plate 35, afiixed to the nipple 20, extends vertically therefrom and carries a horizontally disposed shaft 36 carrying a cam follower 37. A cam plate 38 is non-- rotatably mounted upon suitable brackets and is provided with an opening forming a cam surface 39. 'A bracket 40 is ailixed to the cam plate 38 as indicated and serves to support cam guide 41. A coil'spri'ng 42 is aflixed to the upper end of the plate 35 at one end and has the other end fixed at any convenient non-moving portion of the filler machine.

The operation of the above device is as follows: Assuming a filler cup 12 to have been filled with merchandise to be packed in cartons, as is indicated in Figure 2, as the rotary table 11 turns bringing the bracket 32 into a position wherein the lug 33 engages the lower end of the arm 24, the arm 13 and pipe assembly 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22 are caused to move, the arm and pipe pivoting to the left, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, in a horizontal plane and at the same time lowering the force cup 32 as the cam follower 37 reaches the lowest part of the cam surface 39. This causes the cup 32 to positively engage the upper surface of plate 50 in openings in which the filler cups 12 are mounted, as clearly indicated in Figure 2. Further movement of the rotary table 11 and plate 5t) causes the shoe 34 to engage the roller 31 thus moving the lever arm 30 and opening the valve 27 cansing a blast of air to be delivered to the filler cup 12 thus positively ejecting the merchandise from the cups 12 to the underlying cartons.

Further movement of the rotary table 11 causes the lug 33 to move the cam follower 37 to the far left position on the cam surface 39 and thus to lift the arm 24 out of contact with the lug 33, at which point the cam follower 37 is caused to travel up and over the guide 41 under force of the spring 42 and thus to return to its initial position ready for engagement with the next ensuing lug 33.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that there has been provided a simple and economic mechanism which positively delivers compressed air as needed to the filler cups for positively ejecting non-free flowing products from the filler cups to the cartons as required.

While there has been described what is at present considered a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the essence of the invention and it is intended to cover herein all such changes and modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An ejector for use with packing machinery of the type in which measured amounts of products to be packed are dispensed to filler cups arranged circumferentially spaced on a horizontal rotating table comprising: a flexible cup; means mounting said cup for movement into-and away from sealing engagement with said filler cups; means for supplying air under pressure to said cup including valve means actuatedbymovement-ofi said tableto regulate said air supply; said fieggible cup mounting means in cluding cam means operable on mpvetnent of said table to successively drop said flexible/ CUP into-fillen cup engagernent, cause saidfiexible cupto travelwith said filler cup; raise said flexible-cup from engagement and to return said flexible cup to initial position.

2. An ejector for use with packing machinery of the type in which measuredamounts of products to be packed are dispensed to filler cups arranged circumferentialiy spaced on a horizontal rotating table comprising: a flexible cup; means mounting said cup for movement into and away from sealing engagement-with said filler cups; means for supplying air under pressure to said cup including valve meansiactuated by movement of said table to regu late said air supply said flexible cup mounting means including cam means operable on movement of said table tosuccessively drop said flexible cup intofiller cup engagement, cause said flexible cup to travel with saidzfiller cup, raise said flexible cup from engagement and tore turn said flexible cup to initial position, and in which said mounting means also includes an arm supportingsaid lleitible cup, said arm having a depending portion, said table having a lug mounted thereon, said depending portion being engageableby said lug to move said arm with said ab 3. An ejector for use with packing machinery of the type in which measured amounts of products to be packed are dispensed to filler cups arranged circumferentially ill spaced on a horizontal rotating table comprising: a flexible cup;- rneans mounting said cup ior movement into and away from sealing engagemgnt with said filler cups; means for supplying air under pressure to said cup including valve means actuated by movement of said table to regulate said air supply; said flexible cup mounting means including cam means operable on movement of said table to successively drop said flexible cup into filler cup engagement, cause'said flexible cup to travel with said filler cuP,,-ra iscsaid flexible cup from engagement and to return said tie tiblecup to initial position, and in which said mounting means also includes an arm supporting said flexible cup, said arm having a depending portion, said table havirig a lug mounted thereon, said depending portion being engagggble by said lug to move said arm with said table, said cam means including a stationary cam and a cam follower mounted on said arm for movement therewith.

4. A device as set forth in claim 3 in which said cam means includes means for disengaging said depending portion from saidlug and in which spring means is connected to said arm to return the same to initial position upon such disengagement.

Norton et a1 Sept. 1, 1891 Fechbeimer May 15, 1951 

